Waking At Night Perhaps it’s the effect of a crashed economy, soaring gas prices, upheaval in the Middle East, blown up nuclear reactor buildings or the Charles Sheen saga, but people are waking up a lot these days – in the middle of the night. Frequently they can’t fall back to sleep. There […]
Does sleep loss make you take bad risks? (3/21/11)
Gambling With Time Las Vegas at night cools outside, but not inside. The desiccated desert air does not affect environments designed and run as separate worlds where the temperature, the atmosphere and the staff’s friendly glare never change. There are no clocks. Some years ago I returned to Las Vegas after decades to see what […]
These mistakes can last longer than you – your Electronic Health Record
It Couldn’t Happen – But It Did If in the future you inexplicably don’t get a job or insurance you thought you had, consider this story: “Mrs. Smith. This is the health department. You have gonorrhea. You need to come in and see us quickly.” The shocked Mrs. Smith is the 67 year old wife […]
Cut your light at night (3/9/11)
Light is a Drug If reading this at night, you might want to dim the lights. Q: What is the drug everyone is sensitive to? A: Light. (Some, but not all blind people are exceptions – more below) Q:What does it do? A: Change body clocks; in the daytime improve mood and create vitamin D; […]
Thoughts that keep you up at night (3/8/11)
Thinking, Not Sleeping “Honestly, I cannot sleep at night because I get so excited about doing good things for the world, changing the world,” says Miley Cyrus, the Hannah Montana star. Sadly, most of my sleep patients don’t complain of excitement at the wonderful things they are about to do to save our volatile, environmentally […]